Tube-cleaner valve



y May 31, 1927. 1,630,677

H. L. STALEY TUBE CLEANER VALVE Filed Oct. 27, 1924 33 INVENTO ATTORNEYS ture closing in the following way Thegears 22 and 24 are partial gears, 1. e., gears which are blank for aportioii of the1rcircuinference, the blank spaces being tilled 1n bysolid flanges 34; to thereby limit the rotation of the gears by causing them to jam when the ends of their flanges 34. come into abutting relation. These gears, therefore, can be given only a partial revolution before they are jammed to a standstill. The teeth and the jam-flanges are so located and proportioned that on the opening movement, the gears willjani immediately after the wrist-pin 20 passes over center, i. e., axial center of the valve-stern, so that air- };Jressure against the valve will tend to hold the gears inlocked position and thus prevent the valve comingto closed position. Itwill be understood that this locking action cannot take place until the wrist-pin has passed beyond center and that, therefore, there must be, theoretically at least, a slight movement of the valve toward its seat before the locknig action takes place.

It will be observed that when this quickacting valve is placed behindthe tube-clean-V ing turbine it gives to the operator, when cleaning from tube to tube, absolute control over starting and stopping the turbine 1nstantly. The use of my valve permits the operator to keep his eyes on the job and both hands on the turbine, as'there is no need for, reaching around blindly for a valve beyond or almost beyond l11S reach, nor for signalling the man at the shut-off outside the drum. My device, therefore,

will render it unnecessary to resort to the expedient of endeavoring to. rig up somearrangement that will bring the throttle valve within reach of the tube-cleaner operator at every positionof the boiler front, expedients which are always very awkward and generally abandoned altogether in favor of placing an eictra man on the platform to operate the valve. It is true that, with my valve, the tube-cleaner must be drawn baclc through the tube while running, but this operation consumes but a few seconds and it frequently removes some scale-spots left by the forward passing of the cleaner through thetube, thus insuring increased thoroughness in cleanin It will be observed that with one easy quarter-turn of the knurled sleeve the air j (or waterin some cases) is full on and the valve is at the same time automatically locked open in such manner that no amount of vibration can close it. It will be understood, however, that, for safetys sake,a detent maybe employed to hold'the parts in open position; in 3, I have shown at 84 a common form of spring detent carried by the ring and gear 2425 adapted to snap into. a V-grooveinthe exterior of the casing l0; an expedient like this will be amply sufiicient to prevent jarring the parts into position for closing the valve under the most severe conditions.

What I claim as new is:

LA boiler-tube cleaner embodying a tor-driven tool, a short section of hose attached to the inlet-end of the motor, a manually-operable valve attached to the end of this short section of hose, and a supplyhose attached to the inlet-end of thevalve, said valve being provided with separated annular flanges serving as runners, alibi."

theaforesaid parts'being ofsuch size'as to enter the tube being cleaned.

' 2. A throttle valve for tube-cleaners ejn1- bodying a valve-casing, a reciprocable valve, andmeans for actuating said valve, said means embodying a stub-shaft extending into the valve-casing and provided at its innerendwith a valve-like head", the easingbeing provided with an inwardly facing valve-like seat against which said head abuts to thus render the shaft-bearing airtight.

3.1; throttle-valve for tube-cleaners embodying a valve-casing, a reciprocable valve, and means for actuating said valve, said means embodying a shaft extending into the valve-casing and carrying an eccentric wrist pin at its inner end, a transverse slot in the stem of the valve engaged by this wrist-pin, a pinion aifixed to the shaft outside of the valve-casing, and a partial gear for driving said pinion journalled upon the valve-casing, the teeth on said partial gear extending to a point where the gears will be locked against further rotation when the wrist-pin passes over center, to thereby lock the valve in open position against fluid pressure.

4:. A throttle-valve for tube-cleaners embodying a valve-casing, a reciprocahle valve. means for o ierating the valve emhoilying a pair of gears arranged cxteriorly on the valve-casing, a knurled sleeve alliited to the drivingone of these gears, this sleeve serving to enclose the gears, and means for reniovably holding the sleeve and thegears in assembled relation.

5. A throttle-valve for tube-cleaners em bodying a valve-casing, a reciprocable valve therein, means for opening the valve against fluid pressure embodying a stub-shailt extending into the valve-casingand provided with an eccentric wrist-pin in engagement with the aforesaid valve, a pinionon the outer end of said shaft, and a driving gear engaged with said pinion and ournalcd on and surrounding the valve-casing, one of said gears being a partial gear, the teeth extendmg to a point where the gears will be locked ll U iii]

against further rotation when the Wrist-pin passes over center, to thereby lock the valve in open position against fluid pressure.

6. A throttle-valve for tube-cleaners embodying a tubular casing, a reciprocable valve located therein and adapted to open against the fluid pressure, and means for opening said valve against fluid pressure embodying a tubular bearing extending radially through the casing and having a valve-face at its inner end, a stub-shaft journaled in said tubular bearing and having a valve at its inner end and also an eccentrio Wrist-pin for actuating the aforesaid valve, a pinion aflixed to the outer end of said stub-shaft, a ring-like partial gear surrounding "the valve-casing and journaled thereon and in constant mesh with said pinion, an operating sleeve surrounding the valve-casing and enclosing the gears and afiixed to said ring-like gear, and means for holding the gears and the sleeve in assembled relation, so that the sleeve Will enclose both gears.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

HARRISON L. STALEY. 

